In this epistle John addresses
salvation of the soul as found in the Life of
Christ. Soul salvation is something that
Christians must lay hold onto, and it is not the
same as spirit salvation or the new birth
experience. The First Epistle
of John is addressed to Christians, and it warns
against the dangers of false teaching. It also
exhorts believers to lives of obedience to God and
love for Christian brothers and sisters. The
primary theme is fellowship with God the Father
and his Son Jesus Christ (1:3). The first four
verses of this epistle constitute the prologue,
and affirm the reality of the incarnation of
Christ. The goals of the epistle are fellowship
and joy, and have nothing to do with testing to
see if a person is really a born again Christian.
It appears certain that the author of this epistle
was John the Apostle—the disciple whom Jesus
loved. I. Prologue (1:1-4)
(1 John 1:1 KJV) That which was
from the beginning, which we have heard, which
we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked
upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of
life; John declares his
subject to be that which was from the beginning
and he then describes the Lord Jesus Christ.
Consequently, the beginning referred to in this
verse would be the beginning of the proclamation
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ or the First Coming
of Jesus Christ. John places
himself among the group of people who heard, saw,
looked upon, and touched the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Greek word for “seen” means that they
experienced Him, and the word for looked upon
means that they examined Him closely. The essence
of this verse is the reality of the incarnation of
Jesus Christ. They heard Him teach and speak and
they fellowshipped with Him. They even touched
Him. The reason for this verse is to counter the
heretical teachings that Jesus Christ was a spirit
being only and that He did not really come in the
flesh. This verse also
describes Jesus as the Word of Life. We know that
the Bible is the Written Word, but Jesus Christ is
the Living Word, and this reference is to the
Living Word. As the Living Word of Life, Jesus
Christ is the source of eternal life. It must be
emphasized here that eternal life pertains to soul
salvation and not spirit salvation. Eternal life
pertains to appropriating the Life of Jesus Christ
and the reward for doing this. Eternal life is
something the Christian attains to by allowing
Christ to live His live in the Christian. The Christian must
lay hold on eternal life. The following
verses are just a few that confirm this: (1 Tim 6:12 KJV) Fight the good
fight of faith, layhold on
eternal life, whereunto thou art also
called, and hast professed a good profession
before many witnesses.(1 Tim 6:17 KJV) Charge them that
are rich in this world, that they be not
highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but
in the living God, who giveth us richly all
things to enjoy;(1 Tim 6:18 KJV) That they do good,
that they be rich in good works, ready to
distribute, willing to communicate;(1 Tim 6:19 KJV) Laying up in store
for themselves a good foundation against the
time to come, that they may
lay hold on eternal life. (1 John 1:2 KJV) (For the life was
manifested, and we have seen it, and bear
witness, and show unto you that eternal life,
which was with the Father, and was manifested
unto us;) This verse
confirms that eternal life is in the life of
Christ, and it has been manifested or shown to
Christians. We can lay hold on to eternal life by
allowing Christ to live His life through us.
Eternal life is a result of good works as stated
in the verses in 1st Timothy above. The following
passage of Scripture provides the Biblical
definition of eternal life: (Rom 2:6 KJV) Who will render to
every man according to his deeds:(Rom 2:7 KJV) To them who by
patient continuance in well doing seek for glory
and honour and immortality, eternal life:(Rom 2:8 KJV) But unto them that
are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but
obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,(Rom 2:9 KJV) Tribulation and
anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil,
of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;(Rom 2:10 KJV) But glory, honour,
and peace, to every man that worketh good, to
the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:(Rom 2:11 KJV) For there is no
respect of persons with God.
Please note that eternal life pertains to the
good works that we perform. The Biblical definition
of eternal life is the glory, honor and immortality
that a Christian attains to by patient continuance
in well doing. Every verse in this passage confirms
that works are required for eternal life. (1 John 1:3 KJV) That which we have
seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also
may have fellowship with us: and truly our
fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son
Jesus Christ. John continues
the affirmation that eternal life is in the life
of Jesus Christ, and it pertains to our fellowship
with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
Eternal life pertains to soul salvation and not
spirit salvation. Our spirits were saved by the
death of Jesus Christ, but our souls are saved by
the life of Jesus Christ. Not every Christian will
attain to glory, honor and immortality at the
Judgment Seat of Christ. The lives or souls of
many Christians will perish at the Judgment Seat
of Christ. They will still be in heaven, and they
will still be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ, but their lives will have been a total
waste. Their lives will perish or be lost, but
they will still be in heaven. Eternal life
pertains to rewards, and specifically the crown of
life. This crown can be taken away from the
Christian in accordance with the following
Scripture: (James 1:12 KJV) Blessed is the man
that endureth temptation: for when he is tried,
he shall receive the crown
of life, which the Lord hath promised
to them that love him. (Rev 2:10 KJV) Fear none of those
things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the
devil shall cast some of you into prison, that
ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation
ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I
will give thee a crown of
life. (Rev 3:11 KJV) Behold, I come
quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no
man take thy crown.
The Christian can
lose the crown of life if he is not faithful,
since it pertains to the works of a Christian.
Heaven can not be lost as it pertains to the work
of Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:4 KJV) And these things
write we unto you, that your joy may be
full.John ends the
prologue of this epistle by affirming that eternal
life through Jesus Christ pertains to the fullness
of joy and not entrance into heaven. It is
possible for the Christian to receive the fullness
of joy, but it is not a certainty. II.
Introduction: Basic Principles (1:5-2:11)
It was announced
that fellowship was the objective of this epistle,
so it is natural for John to begin with a
discussion of this subject. In 1:5-2:11 John
enunciates some basic principles of genuine
fellowship with God. These principles have great
practical value in the daily lives of Christians.
Based on these principles the believer can test
the reality of his communion with God. These
principles are not a test for spiritual rebirth,
as a person can be born again and not walk in the
light and in fellowship with God. A. Basic
Principles of Fellowship (1:5-2:2)(1 John 1:5 KJV) This then is the
message which we have heard of him, and declare
unto you, that God is light, and in him is no
darkness at all. In the prologue
John stated that he heard Christ, so it is natural
for him to speak of something that he heard from
Christ. The content of the message is that God is
light and there is no darkness in Him at all. John
no doubt had in mind God as the Revealer of His
Holiness. As light God exposes man’s sin and
condemns it. This is clearly in reference to the
sins of Christians. If a Christian walks in
darkness, he is hiding from the truth that is
revealed by the Light. (1 John 1:6 KJV) If we say that we
have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness,
we lie, and do not the truth: Since “God is
Light,” it is impossible for a Christian to have
communion with God while walking in darkness. The
walk of a Christian refers to the life that he
lives. The Christian who walks in the light of
God’s revelation is very much aware of his own
depravity. The Christian who has true fellowship
with God is humbled by the realization of his own
depravity. This Christian sees his own arrogance,
selfishness, and sinfulness. The following is
a brief discourse by Jesus Christ on walking in
the light versus walking in darkness: (John 3:11 KJV) Verily, verily, I
say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and
testify that we have seen; and ye receive not
our witness.(John 3:12 KJV) If I have told you
earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye
believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?(John 3:13 KJV) And no man hath
ascended up to heaven, but he that came down
from heaven, even the Son of man which is in
heaven.(John 3:14 KJV) And as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of man be lifted up:(John 3:15 KJV) That whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have
eternal life.(John 3:16 KJV) For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life.(John 3:17 KJV) For God sent not
his Son into (i.e., to or among) the world
(i.e., the elect—believers) to condemn the world
(i.e., the elect—believers); but that the world
(i.e., the elect—believers) through him might be saved (i.e.,
soul salvation).(John 3:18 KJV) He that believeth
on him is not condemned: but he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God.(John 3:19 KJV) And this is the
condemnation, that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil (John 3:20 KJV) For every one that
doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to
the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.(John 3:21 KJV) But he that doeth
truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be
made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
The above passage
of Scripture is probably the most misunderstood
passage in all of Scripture. The passage is in
reference to walking in the light of God’s
revelation and is not addressing spiritual
rebirth. The salvation addressed in verse 17 is
soul salvation and not spirit salvation. Also, the
believing in Jesus Christ addressed in verse 16 is
referring to the believer entrusting his spiritual
well-being unto Jesus Christ. The Christian who
entrusts his spiritual well-being unto Christ the
Living Word will spend time studying and abiding
by the Bible, the Written Word. Verse 21 above
confirms that John is addressing the works (i.e.,
the deeds) of believers and not simply spiritual
rebirth. The word for
“world” in verse 17 is the Greek word kosmos and
is in reference to a collection or harmonious
arrangement of a group of particulars of any sort.
In the context it is in reference to believers.
Thayer’s lexicon of the Greek language confirms
that the word kosmos
in this verse is in reference to believers.
It is very
important to note that in verse 20 above it is the
deeds or works that will be reproved or called
into account. This is the judgment that all
believers will go through for their works to be
judged. (1 John 1:7 KJV) But if we walk in
the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of
Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.This verse
confirms that if the believer walks in the light,
he will have fellowship “one with another.” This
verse is not talking about fellowship with other
believers, but fellowship with Jesus Christ. The
verse also confirms that if we walk in the light,
the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all
sin.

It is a
fact that many Christians feign spirituality while
committing acts of disobedience.Spurious claims
to fellowship have been a reality throughout the
Church Age. (1 John 1:8 KJV) If we say that we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us.The Christian who
states that he has no sin is deceiving himself,
and he is not speaking the truth. The following
verse even confirms that it is incumbent upon us
to acknowledge our sin in order for it to be
forgiven. (1 John 1:9 KJV) If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. This verse
confirms that when we confess our known sins to
God, He is faithful and just to not only forgive
those sins confessed, but to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. This confession of sins to God is
critical for fellowship and communion with God.
(1 John 1:10 KJV) If we say that we
have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his
word is not in us. This verse
emphasizes the seriousness of saying that we do
not sin. It states that if we say we do not sin,
then we are calling God a liar, and His Word is
not in us. We could debate as to whether this Word
is the Living Word or the Written Word, but it
seems certain that both are intended as they go
together hand and hand. If Christ the Living Word
is in us, then the Written Word is having an
effect on our lives as we abide by its precepts.
If we allow the
engrafted Word of God to save our souls (James
1:21), then the Living Word of God will be
manifested in our lives as Christ lives His life
through us. (1 John 2:1 KJV) My
little children, these things write I unto
you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous:This verse
confirms that the engrafted Word of God and the
Living Word of God means more than just confessing
our sins to God. It means that we sin less and
less as we spiritually mature. Our goal is to live
a life without sin, but the reality of the
situation is that we must still exercise 1 John
1:9 until we are finally conformed to the image of
Christ and sin no more. This will take place at
the Judgment Seat of Christ. Currently, Jesus
Christ is functioning as our High Priest and
Intercessor with God the Father. We receive
forgiveness for our sins based upon His shed
blood. Every Christian will eventually receive
forgiveness and cleansing from all sin, regardless
of what happens now upon this earth, but our lives
on the earth will determine our position in the
kingdom. This is why it is so important for us to
receive the engrafted Word of God and allow the
Living Word to live His life through us at
present.

(1 John 2:2 KJV) And
he is the propitiation for our sins: and not
for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world.John saying that
Jesus Christ is the propitiation (i.e., atonement)
for the sins of John and the people being
addressed by him sums up the section. John also
states that Jesus is also the propitiation for the
sins of the whole kosmos. We encounter
this word again that has reference to all of the
elect of God. Jesus Christ is the propitiation for
the sins of all of the elect—not the whole world.
This word would definitely include the Church, but
it would also include all Jews and Gentiles
throughout history that were chosen by God for
spirit salvation. This would include elect Jews
and elect Gentiles who fall outside of the Church
Age. The word kosmos does not include
every individual who ever lived. It includes the
elect of God. B. Basic Principles
of Knowing God (2:3-11)(1 John 2:3 KJV) And hereby we do
know that we know him, if we keep his
commandments.

This
verse confirms that we know we have come into an
intimate knowledge of God when we keep his
commandments. The word know in this
passage is not synonymous with spiritual rebirth
or spirit salvation, but it does confirm that we
have gotten to know God through a study of His
Word, and a strong desire to follow His precepts.
Jesus promised
His disciples a special self-disclosure dependent
upon the obeying of His commands: (John 14:20 KJV) At that day ye
shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me,
and I in you.(John 14:21 KJV) He that hath my
commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved
of my Father, and I will love him, and will
manifest myself to him.(John 14:22 KJV) Judas saith unto
him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou
wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the
world?(John 14:23 KJV) Jesus answered and
said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my
words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our abode with him.
(1 John 2:4 KJV) He that saith, I
know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a
liar, and the truth is not in him.

The
Christian who says that he has intimate fellowship
with God, but does not keep the commandments and
precepts of God is a liar. A liar in this verse is
the Christian who speaks a falsehood and pretends
to be more spiritual than he really is. The truth
in the context is that which is true in the
Christian faith. It is that candor of mind that is
free from affection, pretense, simulation,
falsehood or deceit. It is the mature Christian
who has the truth in him. The immature Christian
does not have the truth in him, since he has not
received the engrafted Word of God, which is the
truth as taught in the Bible, and which has been
applied in the life of the Christian. In such a
person, the truth is not a dynamic, controlling
influence, and this person is out of touch with
spiritual reality. He is still a born again
Christian who will go to heaven, but he will not
necessarily enter the Kingdom of heaven, which is
to reign and rule with Jesus Christ in the
millennial kingdom. (1 John 2:5 KJV) But whoso keepeth
his word, in him verily is the love of God
perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.This statement
clarifies the above by stating that the person who
keeps or abides by the Word of God has the love of
God completed or matured in him. The Greek word
for love is agape,
and it is the unconditional love that comes from
God. It is the love that flows through the
Christian when he has crucified the old flesh
nature, and the Holy Spirit reigns in his life. It
is the spirit-filled Christian who reflects the
life of Christ. This verse also
establishes unequivocally that God and Christ are
the same, for it makes the transition from the
love of God to being in Him, and “Him” is in
reference to the Christ as is confirmed in this
same context later in this chapter. The following
verse establishes that the Christian who is “in
Him” is the Christian who walks even as Christ
walked. This Christian will reflect the life of
Christ in his life. Note: John
frequently used the word “Him” to refer to God or
to Christ, for John so closely linked Jesus Christ
with the Father that a precise distinction between
these Persons of the Godhead seemed irrelevant.
It would be a
mistake to equate the Pauline concept of being “in
Christ” with John’s concept of being “in Him”.
Paul’s use of the words “in Christ” describes a
Christian’s permanent position in God’s Son with
all of the privileges linked to that position. The
kind of relationship pictured by John in the
vine-branch relationship describes an experience
that can be broken with the consequences being the
loss of fellowship and fruitfulness. In this
passage, the proof of an intimate relationship
with God is to be found in the life of a believer
modeled after that of Jesus in obedience to the
Written Word. This is confirmed in the following
verse: (1 John 2:6 KJV) He that saith he
abideth in him ought himself also so to walk,
even as he walked. Some would argue
that it is impossible for any Christian to walk in
the sinless perfection that Christ walked, but
this is not true. The Christian who abides in
Christ is walking as Christ walked. Where he fails
in the commission or omission of acts that
constitute sin, he receives the daily cleansing
that is provided by the blood of Christ for those
who confess their sins and are cleansed of all
unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). This is confirmed in
verse 12 below. (1 John 2:7 KJV) Brethren, I write
no new commandment unto you, but an old
commandment which ye had from the beginning. The
old commandment is the word which ye have heard
from the beginning. This verse
confirms that those being addressed are Christian
brethren, and the commandment is for them. John
states that there is a commandment that is really
not new, but an old one. We learn in this verse that
they heard this commandment from the beginning
of their Christian experience, and we learn
below that the commandment is to love the
brother in Christ. John does add a new
aspect to this old commandment in the following
verse, and the new aspect pertains to being able
to love the brethren by walking in the light. The
Light is in reference to Jesus Christ, and to
abiding in Christ who is the Light of the kosmos
or the Light of the Church. (1 John 2:8 KJV) Again, a new
commandment I write unto you, which thing is
true in him and in you: because the darkness is
past, and the true light now shineth. The commandment
to love the brethren was with them from the
beginning, but they now have the ability to abide
by this commandment by abiding in Christ, who is
the Light of the Church. (1 John 2:9 KJV) He that saith he
is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in
darkness even until now. This verse
equates hating the brethren with walking in
darkness, even if the brother states the lie that
he is walking in the light. It is important to
note that this is a Christian brother who states,
and maybe even believes that he is walking in the
light. (1 John 2:10 KJV) He that loveth
his brother abideth in the light, and there is
none occasion of stumbling in him.John summarizes
the statement by stating the exact reverse that a
Christian who loves his Christian brothers is
abiding in the light (i.e., Jesus Christ), and
there is nothing that would cause this Christian
to stumble as long as he abideth in the light.
(1 John 2:11 KJV) But
he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and
walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither
he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded
his eyes. John completes
the thought by stating that the Christian who
hates his brother is in darkness, walks in
darkness, and has no idea of the direction in
which he is going, since his spiritual eyes have
been blinded. This verse is clear that this
brother (i.e., Christian) may not even realize
that he is walking in darkness. III. The Purpose of
the Epistle (2:12-27) In the prologue
John addressed the goal and aim of his letter, and
now he addresses the specific concerns that
motivated the letter. A. In light of the
readers’ spiritual conditions (2:12-14)John addresses
the specific concerns in light of the readers’
spiritual conditions at the time. He first
addresses all of the believers as “little
children” or the Greek word teknia. He
then breaks the believers down into three
categories of maturity. These levels of maturity
are fathers,
young men,
and little
children (i.e., paidia). John first
addresses his writing of the epistle in the
present tense referring to the time of the writing
of the epistle. He then addresses his writing in
the past (i.e., aorist)
tense referring to the time of the reading of the
epistle. (1 John 2:12 KJV) I write unto you,
little children, because your sins are forgiven
you for his name's sake. John first
addresses all believers as little children or teknia. Teknia is a
term for all believers who have the new birth
relationship to the Father, whereas paidia in
the following verse has reference to teknia who
have matured or advanced a little in the faith.
All believers have their sins forgiven regardless
of their spiritual maturity, and this verse
emphasizes this fact. (1 John 2:13 KJV) I write unto you,
fathers, because ye have known him that is from
the beginning. I write unto you, young men,
because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write
unto you, little children, because ye have known
the Father. John addresses
the most mature believers as “fathers” and they
are characterized by their knowledge of “him that
is from the beginning” (i.e., Christ). The
maturest believers have an intimate knowledge of
Christ from study of the Written Word. They have
come to know the Living Word from a study of the
Written Word. The maturer believers are
characterized as “young men” who “have overcome
the wicked one.” Appropriate to their spiritual
maturity, they are involved in activity of
conflict with Satan. John then
addresses the little padia, or those spiritual babes
in Christ who have simply come to know that God is
their Father. They have not yet matured enough to
engage in spiritual conflict with Satan, as the
young men have, much less acquired an intimate
knowledge of Christ as the fathers have. The first
thing that a new Christian realizes is that God is
his Father. The second level of maturity is
spiritual conflict with Satan to become an
overcomer, and the third level is an intimate
knowledge of Christ. (1 John 2:14 KJV) I
have written unto you, fathers, because ye
have known him that is from the beginning. I
have written unto you, young men, because ye
are strong, and the word of God abideth in
you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. As stated above,
John then repeats in the past (i.e., aorist) tense
the intimate knowledge of Christ that the maturest
Christians possess, and he inserts the method
whereby the young men overcame the wicked one. The
young men overcame Satan by allowing the Word of
God to abide or dwell in them. We could argue over
whether this means theLiving Word or the Written Word,
but I feel certain it has reference to both.
Christ abides in us when we allow the Written Word
to become engrafted into our lives. B. In light of
the world’s allurements (2:15-17) John now
addresses his specific concerns in light of the
world’s allurements. The mature Christian is not
to get caught up in the love and cares of this
world. (1 John 2:15 KJV) Love
not the world, neither the things that are in
the world. If any man love the world, the love
of the Father is not in him.The world here
means the world system that is ruled over by
Satan. John cautions the recipients of his letter
against loving the world system, but he carries it
a step further and cautions against loving the
things of the world system. Things would include
tangible and intangible things of the world such
as sinful pleasures, money, possessions, politics,
world systems, etc. The Christian has to live in
the world until he dies or the Lord returns, but
he is to live here as if he were a foreigner in
another country. We are not to settle down and
become comfortable in this world. Indeed, if
Christ abides in us, we will never become
comfortable in this world system. The world system
is the domain of Satan so the faithful Christian
will not become comfortable here. In type, the
world system is the wilderness and not our home.
We are simply on a journey to our homeland, which
is Beulahland, heaven, or the heavenly city known
as the New Jerusalem. John states that
if a Christian loves the world system, the love of
the Father is not in him. This does not mean that
this person is not saved but simply that the agape love
of God the Father is not abiding in this believer.
Many Christians do not have the love of the Father
abiding in them. (1 John 2:16 KJV) For all that is
in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not
of the Father, but is of the world. John proceeds to
identify the three levels of temptations that are
common to man for the things of the world. The first is the
temptation to the body and refers to
illicit bodily appetites or those desires that
originate in the base nature of man. Examples of
these lusts are desires for illicit sex, gluttony,
drugs and drunkenness. The man who is seduced by
this temptation is always seeking to satisfy his
base desires for sensual pleasure. This person may
spend his last dollar to achieve that ultimate
high and that ultimate bodily lust. The lust of the eyes
points to man’s soul and pertains to man’s
covetous and acquisitive nature. It addresses
man’s desire for the ownership and possession of
worldly goods. The man who is seduced by this
temptation becomes rich with worldly goods and
possessions. He is never satisfied with his wealth
and his possessions. He always desires more. He
may even deny himself with necessary food and
drink to acquire more wealth. The pride of life
pertains to the spirit nature of man, and it is
reflected in the boasting of what a man has and
what he does. “Pride of life” literally means the
pretension of human life. It signifies a proud and
ostentatious way of life. This sin is observed in
vainglorious displays such as the behavior that
states “Look at me!” Look how rich, or smart, or
beautiful that that I am. Eve succumbed to
all three forms of temptation in the Garden of
Eden. She saw the tree was good for food, pleasant
to the eyes, and one that could make her wise. All
three things in themselves would not have been
sinful, except for the fact that she placed them
above her obedience to God and her belief in the
truthfulness of what God had stated. It is okay to
be tempted, but sin enters in when we yield to the
temptation. It is okay for
man to satisfy his base desires for food, drink,
sex and pleasure, as long as the means of
satisfying these desires are within the will and
commandments of God, and we do not place these
desires above our desire to please God. The same is true
for satisfying our desire for aesthetics or things
of beauty, or having possessions that fulfill our
needs for food, clothing, shelter, and sense of
belonging. It is the excessive desire that becomes
covetous in nature that becomes sinful. It is when
we place things and desires above God that it
becomes wrong and sinful. (1 John 2:17 KJV) And
the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:
but he that doeth the will of God abideth for
ever.John concludes
this concern by stating that the world system will
pass away, and the desires and lusts for this
world system will also cease. He then states that
the Christian who performs the will of God will
continue on forever. This is the immortality of
the soul or life that defines soul salvation and
eternal life. Soul salvation and eternal life
pertain to the soul of man, and do not pertain to
the spirit of man and the salvation of the
spirit. C. In the light
of the deceptions of the last hour
(2:18-23) (1 John 2:18 KJV) Little children,
it is the last time: and as ye have heard that
antichrist shall come, even now are there many
antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last
time. John states that
it is the last time, hour or period of time, and
he reminds the readers that they have heard about
the coming of Antichrist. He also states that they
know that it is the last hour because many
antichrists had already come. The Greek word hora for
time does not appear to mean an age or era, but it
seems to mean a much briefer period of time such
as a season or year. Scholars think that 1 John
was written just before the Diaspora of the Jews
in 70 AD, so this is very likely what John was
talking about. It was the last hour in relation to
the kingdom of heaven being permanently taken away
from the Jews. The year 70 AD was a major
transitional date in Bible prophesy. By this time
many heresies and false teachings had arisen in
the Church. Many faithful Christians had fallen
away from the truth and gotten caught up in the
world. It was approaching the end of the Ephesian
church age, and the beginning of the church age of
Smyrna was upon them. The age of Smyrna was
characterized by tremendous persecution. Nero
beheaded Paul, and John himself was exiled to the
Island of Patmos for his faithfulness to Christ.
John received the Revelation of Jesus Christ and
wrote the book of Revelation just before 70 AD, so
it was a time when numerous antichrists were at
work opposing the work of Christ. Satan had
aroused numerous opponents to Christianity, and
the age of the greatest persecution of the Church
was about to begin. It was the last hour of the
Ephesian church age. Antichrists
represent those who are against and in opposition
to Christ. There have been many antichrists since
the inception of the Church, but there is The
Antichrist, and he will do the most in persecuting
both the Church in the first half of the
tribulation period, and the Jews in the last half
of the tribulation period. Just as John was
writing to the Church telling them it was the end
at that time, there are numerous Christians saying
the same thing now. It is definitely the “last
hour” and there will shortly be tremendous
persecution of the Church under Antichrist. Our
exegesis of the Book
of Habakkuk confirms this to be true. Those
Christians who are left behind after the
Separation takes place will be persecuted
unmercifully by Antichrist. (1 John 2:19 KJV) They went out
from us, but they were not of us; for if they
had been of us, they would no doubt have
continued with us: but they went out, that they
might be made manifest that they were not all of
us.

John states that
these antichrists were not from the Apostolic
Brotherhood, and he provides the evidence as being
that they left the doctrines of the Apostles. The
Apostles were the ones who saw, heard, were taught
by, and were sent out by Jesus Christ. It included
the 12 disciples, except for Judas Iscariot, and
the true twelfth Apostle was Paul himself. Paul
actually saw, was sent by and was taught by Jesus
Christ in Arabia. If these
antichrists had been in unison with the Apostles,
then they would have remained true to apostolic
teaching. We do not know if John was referring to
the heresies ofGnosticism or Docetism, but he could have
been referring to both, and perhaps to others that
had arisen at the time. (1 John 2:20 KJV) But
ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye
know all things.John consoles the
recipients of the letter by stating that they have
a special anointing of the Holy Spirit, and he
confirms that what they know is a result of the
teaching of the Holy Spirit. Man may have taught
them, but their true knowledge of doctrinal truths
came from the Holy Spirit. (1 John 2:21 KJV) I
have not written unto you because ye know not
the truth, but because ye know it, and that no
lie is of the truth. John reiterates
that they know doctrinal truth, and no lie—as
being taught by the heretics—is grounded in the
truth of the Word of God. (1 John 2:22 KJV) Who is a liar but
he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is
antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
John proceeds to
define the liar as the one who denies that Jesus
is the Christ. Christ is the Greek for Messiah,
and means the Anointed One. John also states that
if a person denies that Jesus is the Christ, he is
also denying God the Father. This verse clearly
enunciates that anyone who denies that Jesus is
THE CHRIST is also denying GOD THE FATHER. This denial that
Jesus is THE CHRIST can be very tricky in Satan’s
churches, for there are many cults who will say
that Jesus is A CHRIST, but not THE CHRIST. Even
the New Age Movement acknowledges that Jesus was A
CHRIST, but it also states that Mohammed was A
CHRIST, Buddha was A CHRIST, and Hercules was A
CHRIST.However, the New
Age Movement also teaches that THE CHRIST is about
to appear asMaitreya, and it is unknown what body
Maitreya will use for his appearance. Maitreya is
another name for Antichrist. In essence, the
New Age Movement acknowledges that Jesus was A
CHRIST, but he was a Christ in the sense that he
attained Christhood by the way in which he lived.
This is heretical and is the spirit of antichrist
that has been with the Church since the first
century. The individual who comes out as the
Antichrist will be the epitome of the spirit of
antichrist, as he will deny both Jesus the Christ
and God the Father. Many churches
today confuse the fact that there is a spirit of
antichrist with the truth that there will be one
individual who will embody the ultimate antichrist
attitude. These Christians say that there will not
be one individual who will be the Antichrist, but
they say that there is a prevailing antichrist
attitude that will be present in the world. In
actuality, both are true. There is already the
antichrist attitude that has been with us for two
millennia, and THE ANTICHRIST will most certainly
reappear and fulfill the remaining prophecies
about him. (1 John 2:23 KJV) Whosoever denieth
the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he
that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
John sums up the
previous verses by stating that the individual who
denies the Son does not have the Father. This
means that an individual who denies that Jesus is
the Christ does not have the approval of the
Father. This could be a Christian who was
spiritually saved at one time but turned his back
on Christ, or one of the tares in the Church who
has always denied that Jesus is the Christ. The
cults represent the primary position of those who
deny the Christ, but there are Christians who have
been led astray and gotten caught up in the cults.
They are still saved, but they will be judged at
the Judgment Seat of Christ for their
disobedience. It might also be
stated that the individual who acknowledges the
Son (i.e., allows the Son to live through him),
then that individual has the love of the Father
abiding in him. A person cannot deny that Jesus is
the Christ and have the love of God abiding in
him. This statement applies to Christians and
non-Christians alike. D. In the light
of the reader’s responsibilities to abide
(2:24-27)(1 John 2:24 KJV) Let that
therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from
the beginning. If that which ye have heard from
the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall
continue in the Son, and in the Father. This verse
confirms that Christians are being alluded to who
can fall away from the faith and no longer have
the Son or the Father abiding in them. John is
warning the recipients of the epistle that it is
possible for them to fall away from the truth of
the Word of God. If they fall away from the truth
that they heard and believed at the beginning of
their conversion to Christianity, then they will
not continue in the truths of both the Son and the
Father. They will still be spiritually saved, but
they will suffer the loss of their souls at the
Judgment Seat of Christ, and they will fail to
attain unto eternal life. (1 John 2:25 KJV) And this is the
promise that he hath promised us, even eternal
life. This Scripture
confirms that eternal life is the result of continuing to
abide in the Son and the Father. As we
have stated on numerous occasions, eternal life
pertains to the salvation of the soul and not the
spirit. If it is impossible for a Christian to
fall away from the truth and cease to abide in the
Father and the son, then this warning to
Christians by the Apostle John would be ludicrous
in its intent to keep these Christians from
falling away from the truth. (1 John 2:26 KJV) These things have
I written unto you concerning them that seduce
you. This verse
confirms that Christians can be seduced by false
teachings, if they are listening to the teachings
of man instead of the Holy Spirit. This has
happened in the Church today as few pastors have
the basic understanding of the difference between
spirit and soul salvation, and they do not
understand the definition of eternal life, as
provided in the Scriptures. (1 John 2:27 KJV) But the anointing
which ye have received of him abideth in you,
and ye need not that any man teach you: but as
the same anointing teacheth you of all things,
and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath
taught you, ye shall abide in him.

This
verse confirms that it is the anointing of the
Holy Spirit, who is our real teacher and teaches
us the truths of the Word of God. If this
anointing abides in us, then we will know the
truth and not be deceived by lies. We will also
abide in Christ, and this means that the life of
Christ will be manifested in our lives. The
Scriptures are clear that the whole Church will be
completely leavened at the end. Leaven is false
doctrines, sin and anything that corrupts the
Church. The Church has been completely corrupted
by false doctrines. IV. The Body of the
Epistle (2:28-4:19)In the previous
section, John had written to the contingent of
Christians in order to assure them of the validity
of their spiritual experiences of Christ, and to
warn them against the antichrists that came to
them denying the validity of their experience.
In the main
portion or body of this epistle, John delves into
the true character of what it means to live the
Christian life, and the consequences of failing to
allow Christ to live in the Christian. This entire
epistle is concerned with the salvation of the
soul and how a Christian can know if he is
progressing in the Christian faith. This epistle
has nothing to do with testing to verify that one
has been spiritually regenerated. We know we have
been spiritually regenerated if we have believed
that the death of Jesus atoned for our sins. This
is a past experience that cannot be changed or
remanded in spite of our current beliefs or
actions. There are many outspoken atheists who are
born again Christians running away from God. The
unsaved, unregenerate person has no need to go
around proclaiming that God does not exist. If one
questions typical atheists, he will find that most
were saved spiritually as children, but they have
departed from the Living God to pursue their own
desires and life’s ambitions. It is an enigma that
atheists will curse the very God whose existence
they deny. There will be many so-called atheists
at the Judgment Seat of Christ weeping and wailing
because their lives have been wasted living in the
power of the flesh instead of the power of the
spirit. A. The theme stated
(2:28)(1 John 2:28 KJV) And now, little
children, abide in him; that, when he shall
appear, we may have confidence, and not be
ashamed before him at his coming. John here states
the primary theme or the reason for living the
abiding life. The abiding life is dying to the old nature
and allowing Christ to live His life through us.
If we do this, when Christ appears and we stand
before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will
be boldly confident instead of being ashamed.
Please note that
the reason for living the abiding life has nothing
to do with proving that we are spiritually saved,
but it has everything to do with what takes place
at the Judgment Seat of Christ. No unsaved person
will be ashamed at the Second Coming of Christ for
they will not stand before Him until the Great
White Throne Judgment at the end of the millennial
kingdom. B. Discerning the
children of God living the abiding life
(2:29-3:10a)(1 John 2:29 KJV) If ye know that
he is righteous, ye know that every one that
doeth righteousness is born of him. John begins this
subsection by stating a simple fact that every
Christian should know. John states that if the
Christian knows that God is righteous, then he
should also know that no one can work
righteousness unless he is born of God. This verse
simply states that only people who have been born
of God can do anything that is righteous. The word
for righteous here can mean absolutely or
relatively righteous. We must determine from the
context the meaning. Since we are talking about
God, we know the first “righteous” means that God
is absolutely holy. The second “righteousness” is
speaking of works rather than a person, and it is
referring to the righteous deeds that a Christian
can perform in the power of the Holy Spirit. This
is a relative righteousness for not every deed
that a Christian performs is righteous. The point
is that no one can perform any righteous deed if
he has not been born of God. The following verse
confirms that even plowing (works) can be sin if
performed outside the Spirit of God and for the
wrong reason: (Prov 21:4 KJV) An high look, and a
proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is
sin. (1 John 3:1 KJV)
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not.John emphasizes
that the Christian’s membership in the family of
God is a manifestation of the love of God that has
been bestowed upon us. The word for sons in this
passage is the word teknon, and it should have been
translated “children” instead of sons. The word
for “sons” is huios,
and the King James Version does not distinguish
between the two words. The Scriptural
term son or sons has a much deeper meaning than
most Bible students understand. The Greek word is
huios and
the primary meaning is male offspring of a parent.
It is often used metaphorically in Scripture to
describe those who manifest a certain character
whether evil or good. Matthew 5:9,45 use the word
huios and
it refers to those who reflect the character of
God. The Greek word for child or children is teknon. In
contrast to huios,
it means the fact of birth whereas huios stresses
the dignity and character of the relationship. All
Christians are children (i.e., teknon) of
God, but not all Christians will be sons (i.e., huios) of
God. Unfortunately, the King James Version of theBible does not
discriminate between the mature huios and
the immature teknon.
The following
Scripture reveals the difference between children
of God (i.e., heirs of God), and sons of God
(i.e., joint-heirs with Christ): Rom 8:14-17 (KJV) For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons (i.e., huios) of God. 15 For ye
have not received the spirit of bondage again
to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,
that we are the children (i.e., teknon) of
God: 17 And if children (i.e., teknon), then
heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ; if so be
that we suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified together.The sons (i.e., huios) of God
are those Christians who are led by the Spirit and
not their soulical or flesh nature. All Christians
have received the Spirit of adoption, which means
we are children of God and, therefore, heirs of
God. We also shall be "joint-heirs with Christ; if
so be that we suffer with him..." This
Scripture plainly states that Christians who are
led by the Spirit of God and who suffer with
Christ will not lose their inheritance as a child
of God. Spiritual maturity is the requirement.
The Roman noble
in New Testament times would choose one of his
boys thought to be the most suitable to be his son
and heir. This child was adopted as distinct from
the other children, and he was made head of the
house under the father. His relationship to the
father was the same as the other children, but his
position in the family was superior to the others.
Those who refuse to distinguish between simple
heir-ship to God and joint heir-ship with Jesus
make the former conditional upon suffering with
Christ. This makes works (i.e., suffering with
Christ) a condition for salvation. Believers
should not fall into this trap. Salvation is by
grace, but rewards are according to works.
Heirs are those
who are born of the Spirit. Joint-heirs are those
who are "born of water and [of] the Spirit."
Sanctification is just as critical for being a son
of God as justification is for being a child of
God. The receiving of the inheritance is just as
dependent upon sanctification as it is upon
justification. The atoning blood and the
sanctifying Word and Spirit are required for
Christians to receive the inheritance. The last sentence
of 1 John 3:1 above simply states that even though
we should be called the children (i.e., teknon) of
God, the world does not know or recognize us as
such simply because they do not recognize Jesus as
the righteous one. The world may see us as being
different and as having some measure of integrity,
but it does not recognize us as being the children
of God. (1 John 3:2 KJV) Beloved, now are
we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear
what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall
see him as he is. John continues by
stating emphatically that we are the children (teknon) of
God, even though the world does not recognize this
fact. John also states that the life of Christ has
not yet been fully manifested in us, but it will
be fully manifested when Christ returns. When
Christ returns and the Judgment Seat of Christ
takes place, all of the children (i.e., teknon) of
God will be Christlike. This is a promise and a
guarantee for all Christians. However, it does not
behoove the Christian to put off becoming
Christlike until the Judgment Seat of Christ. The
Christian can become Christlike in great measure
by obedience to the Word of God now, and there
will be great reward for the effort made in doing
this. (1 John 3:3 KJV) And every man that
hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as
he is pure.This verse states
that every man (i.e., every Christian) who has the
hope of the Second Coming of Christ will purify
himself, even as Christ is pure. It is unfortunate
that most Christians do not have the hope of the
Second Coming of Christ, so consequently, they do
not purify themselves. The purifying of oneself
will result in great reward, while waiting to be
purified at the Judgment Seat of Christ will
result in weeping, wailing and great shame before
Jesus Christ. There will be other consequences
such as failure to enter the kingdom. Failure to
enter the kingdom pertains to entering a position
of rulership in the millennial kingdom and does
not pertain to entrance into heaven. All
Christians will enter heaven, but not all
Christians will enter the kingdom of Heaven.
(1 John 3:4 KJV) Whosoever
committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for
sin is the transgression of the law.

In this verse, John
warns Christians against sinning, and he states
that sin is a transgression of the law of God. All
Christians do sin to some extent after spiritual
regeneration, but we are to refrain from sinning
as much as is possible by abiding in Christ.
(1 John 3:5 KJV) And ye know that
he was manifested to take away our sins; and in
him is no sin. Christ was
manifested to take away our sins, and this has
reference to his life being lived through the
Christian. Since Christ does not sin and never did
sin, it is important for us to abide in Him in
order for us not to sin. This verse is not
speaking of the imputed righteousness of Christ
that we received when we believed that Jesus died
for our sins, but it speaks of the practical
righteousness of Christ that comes from knowing
Him through the written Word of God. This is a
knowledge that comes from abiding in Christ rather
than simply believing in Him. (1 John 3:6 KJV) Whosoever abideth
in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not
seen him, neither known him. John clarifies by
stating that the Christian who abides in Christ
does not sin. This is simple in that the
Christian who successfully crucifies the old
nature and allows Christ to live through him does
not commit sin. The verse continues by stating
that the Christian who does sin has not seen nor
known Christ. This verse is referring to
Christians who sin, and it is not speaking of
unregenerate people. The word for “seen” means to
become acquainted with by experience or to
experience Christ. This can only happen by
studying the Word of God and getting to know
Christ intimately. The word for “seen” also means
to care for and to pay heed to Christ. Not all
Christians do this. Consequently, they do not come
to know Christ intimately. This is what the phrase
“neither known him” means. The Greek word for
“known” means to come to know or to become
acquainted with someone. Many Christians have been
spiritually regenerated, but they have never
studied the Word of God to become intimately
acquainted with Jesus Christ. The consequences are
they do not abide in Christ, and they commit sin.
(1 John 3:7 KJV) Little children,
let no man deceive you: he that doeth
righteousness is righteous, even as he is
righteous. John summarizes
the thought by telling these children of God to
not be deceived, for the person who performs
righteous deeds is righteous himself. This is the
relative righteousness that the Christian attains
to by abiding in Christ. This is not the imputed
righteousness of Christ that we received when we
were spiritually regenerated, but it is the
practical righteousness (i.e., relative
righteousness) that comes from abiding in Christ.
(1 John 3:8 KJV) He that committeth
sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from
the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God
was manifested, that he might destroy the works
of the devil. This verse is
difficult to understand in its context because of
the way it was translated. This verse is not
speaking of an unregenerate person, but the
Christian’s old flesh or soulical nature. It seems
even the translators did not understand the
meaning of the verse. John is stating that the one
that commits sin does so with its origin being
from the devil. John is referring to our old flesh
nature or the Old Man in us that actually commits
the sin. It is not our New Man or our spirit
nature that commits sin. The coordinating
conjunction “for” points to the devil as the
origin of sin that takes place in Christians. This
could be paraphrased as “The one (i.e., our old
flesh nature) that commits sin is or proceeds out
of the devil. Paul makes this same distinction in
the following verses: (Rom 7:15 KJV) For that which I do
I allow not: for what I would, that do I not;
but what I hate, that do I.(Rom 7:16 KJV) If then I do that
which I would not, I consent unto the law that
it is good.(Rom 7:17 KJV) Now then it is no
more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.(Rom 7:18 KJV) For I know that in
me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good
thing: for to will is present with me; but how
to perform that which is good I find not.(Rom 7:19 KJV) For the good that I
would I do not: but the evil which I would not,
that I do.(Rom 7:20 KJV) Now if
I do that I would not, it is no more I that do
it, but sin that dwelleth in me. In the above
passage in Romans, Paul is comparing the new
spirit nature in him with the old flesh nature
that sins. The “I” is the new spirit nature, but
“sin that dwelleth” is the old flesh nature that
wars against the spirit nature. Continuing in
verse 8 above, John states that the reason Jesus
was manifested was to destroy or overthrow the
works of the devil. The definition of the
word manifested
is important as it refers to the character
and person of Jesus Christ being shown forth so
Christians can know Him and be like Him. The
following is Thayer’s definition: 5319– phaneroo-to make manifest
or visible or known what has been hidden or
unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds,
or in any other waya) to make actual
and visible, realizedb) to make known
by teachingc) to become
manifest, to be made knownd) used of a
person;to
expose to view, to make manifest, to show oneself,
to appeare) to become
known, to be plainly recognized, thoroughly
understood who and what one is Jesus Christ is
manifested to the Christian through the study and
application of the Word of God. Jesus Christ is
manifested to the Christian so he can overcome the
old flesh nature within him, as this old flesh
nature is the works of the devil. The following
verse in 1 John continues the thought by
describing the new spirit nature in every
Christian, which is in direct contrast to the old
flesh nature referred to in verse 8 as the works
of the devil. (1 John 3:9 KJV) Whosoever is born
of God doth not commit sin; for his seed
remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he
is born of God. The word
“Whosoever” can also be accurately translated as
whatsoever, for it is referring to the new
spirit nature in every Christian who has been
spiritually regenerated or born from above. This
new spirit nature does not and cannot ever commit
sin, for this new spirit nature is the seed of
God. The Greek word translated “commit” is in the
aorist tense,
which
means an action that began in the past and
continues into the present. The new spirit nature
did not sin when we received it and it does not
sin today. In fact, it will never cause us to sin,
but the old flesh nature in us (i.e., the works of
the devil) does sin. The more Christ is manifested
in our lives, the more the old flesh nature (i.e.,
the works of the devil) is overcome or destroyed.
This verse does
not state that Christians do not sin. It states
that the spirit nature in us that is born of
God does not sin. As Paul stated in
Romans, (Rom 7:17 KJV) Now then it is no more I
(i.e., the spirit nature) that do it, but sin that
dwelleth in me (i.e., the flesh nature). (Rom 7:18
KJV) For I know that in me (that is, in my
flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: (1 John 3:10 KJV) In this the
children of God are manifest, and the children
of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness
is not of God, neither he that loveth not his
brother. This verse makes
a distinction between those Christians who reflect
the character of God from those Christians who
reflect the character of the devil. The phrase
“not of God” simply means that the person
described does not find the source of his actions
in God. Thayer provides the definitions of the
idiomatic phrases “the children of God and “the
children of the devil” as follows: 5043 teknon-offspring,
children:a) a child; a
male child, a sonb)
metaphorically:1) the name
transferred to that intimate and reciprocal
relationship formed between men by the bonds of
love, friendship, trust, just as between parents
and children2) in
affectionate address, such as patrons, helpers,
teachers and the like employ: my child3) in the New
Testament, pupils or disciples are called children
of their teachers, because the latter by their
instruction nourish the minds of their pupils and
mould their characters4) children of
God: in the Old Testament of "the people of
Israel" as especially dear toGod; in the New
Testament, in Paul's writings, all who are led by
the Spirit of God and thus closely related to God5) children of
the Devil: those who in thought and action are
prompted by the Devil, and so reflect his
character Please note that
Thayer’s definitions of “the children of
God” and “the children of the devil” is not in
reference to whether they are spiritually saved or
not, but in reference to whether the Christian
reflects the character of God or the character of
Satan. If the Christian is led by the Spirit of
God, then his behavior and character reflects that
of God and he is referred to as a child of God. If
the Christian’s thoughts and actions are the
result of the old flesh nature, or prompted by the
temptations of Satan, then the Christian reflects
the character of Satan, and he is referred to as a
child of the Devil. The clincher for
establishing that Christians can be referred to as
children of the devil is the last clause “neither
he that loveth not his brother”. In other words,
if the Christian does not produce righteousness,
then he is a child of the Devil, and even if he
does appear to do righteousness, but he does not
love his Christian brothers, he is a child of the
Devil. We in America
today use a similar figurative expression when our
children are not performing or behaving in a
manner that is acceptable to us. A parent who sees
his child behaving in an unacceptable manner will
often say, “He is not my child.” The statement
does not mean that the child is literally not his,
but that the child is behaving in a manner that is
foreign to his upbringing and the desires of the
parent. A good proof text
for the figurative expression “children of God”
referring to those who reflect the character of
God is as follows: (Mat 5:9 KJV) Blessed are the
peacemakers: for they shall be called the
children of God. This verse comes
from the Sermon on the Mount, and it is referring
to the practical or relative righteousness
necessary for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
This verse distinguishes between the literal
meaning of children of God and the figurative
expression children of God. All Christians are
literally children of God, but those who practice
righteousness to the point of being peacemakers
shall be called the children of God. The
expression is used figuratively in this verse, for
it states that peacemakers shall reflect the
character of God in their behavior and actions.
This is more than just being a literal child of
God through the new birth experience. It means the
person has matured in the faith to the point that
others recognize him as a child of God because of
his behavior. Many Christians are literal children
of God, but they are not yet mature enough to be
recognized and called the children of God. We use a similar
expression today for a child who possesses certain
characteristics or talents that the father of that
child possesses. We say that he is “a chip off the
old block.” For example, an outstanding football
player may have two natural sons. One may have
inherited the father’s athletic abilities while
the other did not. The one with the athletic
ability will reflect the father’s abilities while
the other one does not. The one with the ability
is recognized as “a chip off the old block,” while
the other is not. Both are children of the father,
but only one is recognized and called out as his
child. The same is true for those who are called
the children of God. There are many children of
God who are not recognized and called as such.
C. Discerning
love for the brethren (3:10b-3:23)It is better to
see verse 10b above as the beginning of a new
paragraph on brotherly love in the Christian
faith. The purpose of this section is to define
the practical righteousness of the Christian in
terms of Christian brotherly love, and to describe
how such love expresses itself. By linking the
idea of righteousness with love, John formed a
bridge to a new discussion. He considers love as
the appropriate expression of the mature
Christian. Love is practical righteousness in
action. 1. What love is
not (3:10b-3:15) (1 John 3:11 KJV) For this is the
message that ye heard from the beginning, that
we should love one another. John declares
that the message that the Christian has heard from
the beginning of his Christian life is that
Christians “should love one another.” Please note
the conditional word “should”. Christians should
love one another, but this is not always the case.
Christians do not have it in their own nature to
love one another unconditionally. We must die to
the old nature and allow the life of Christ to be
manifested in us if we are to love one another.
There is much
pretense in the church about love for the
brethren, but this pretense vaporizes when
disagreements occur. The “love” in the church
today is really “I love you as long as you do not
disagree with me”. It is the frothy Laodicean love
that is so prevalent in the church today. The
deeper truths of the Bible cannot be taught as
they offend too many Christians. Preachers who
have heard and believe the doctrines of theJudgment Seat of
Christ dare not preach this as Christians would
get angry and stop coming to that church. It is
all right to talk about sin and depravity as long
as one links this to the unsaved reprobate and not
the born again believer. (1 John 3:12 KJV) Not
as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew
his brother. And wherefore slew he him?
Because his own works were evil, and his
brother's righteous.John defines what
Christian love is not by using Cain as an example.
It is difficult for Christians today to understand, but
both Cain and Abel were spiritual regenerates. The
distinction between them was in their works.
Cain’s actions had their source or origin inSatan, while the
source or origin of Abel’s works was in God.
Please note that it was Cain’s works that were
evil, but Abel’s works were righteous. John used Cain
and Abel to make a point because many Christians
slay their Christian brethren. They do this when
they hate the brethren as confirmed in verse 15
below. These are Christians who are murderers just
as Cain was a murderer. (1 John 3:13 KJV)
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate
you. It will be
difficult to see this but the Greek word for world
is the word kosmos,
and it is in reference to the Church. We must keep
this verse in the context and realize that John is
talking about brotherly love among Christians.
There are many times in Scripture when the word kosmos is
speaking of the elect of God, commonly called the
Church. The following definition of kosmos by
Thayer confirms that it can refer to believers:
2889 kosmos-1) an apt and
harmonious arrangement or constitution, order,
government2) ornament,
decoration, adornment, that is, the arrangement of
the stars, `the heavenly hosts', as the ornament
of the heavens. 1 Pet. 3:33) the world, the
universe4) the circle of
the earth, the earth5) the
inhabitants of the earth, men, the human race6) the ungodly
multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from
God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ7) world affairs,
the aggregate of things earthly the whole circle
of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages,
pleasures, etc., which although hollow and frail
and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are
obstacles to the cause of Christ8) any aggregate
or general collection of particulars of any sorta) the Gentiles
as contrasted to the Jews (Rom. 11:12 etc)a) used of
believers only, John 1:29; 3:16; 3:17; 6:33; 12:47
1 Cor. 4:9; 2 Cor. 5:19 John is telling
the recipients of this epistle to not be surprised
if fellow Christians (i.e., the Church) hate them.
Cain and Abel are types of the Church with Abel
typifying the faithful and Cain the unfaithful.
(1 John 3:14 KJV) We know that we
have passed from death unto life, because we
love the brethren. He that loveth not his
brother abideth in death. John then goes on
to explain that we can know that we are realizing
the salvation of our soul (i.e., “passed over from
death unto life”) because we love our Christian
brothers. If we do not love our Christian
brothers, then we are abiding in death. This death
is the death of the soul, and not the regenerated
spirit that was born of God in us. There are many
Christians who will experience the death of their
soul at the Judgment Seat of Christ. They will
fail to realize eternal life, which is in
reference to the soul and not the spirit. This is
confirmed in the following verse. (1 John 3:15 KJV) Whosoever hateth
his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no
murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
This verse
confirms that Christians who hate their brothers
in Christ are referred to as murderers, and they
will fail to lay hold on eternal life as seen in
the following verse: (1 Tim 6:11 KJV) But thou, O man of
God, flee these things; and follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness.(1 Tim 6:12 KJV) Fight the good
fight of faith, lay hold
on eternal life, whereunto thou art
also called, and hast professed a good
profession before many witnesses. It should be very
clear that Christians are the ones who are to
“follow after righteousness ….” and to “lay hold
on eternal life ….” by fighting the good fight of
faith. These two verses establish conclusively
that eternal life is the result of works by
living the faithful Christian life. Hatred of another
Christian is often prompted by a feeling of guilt
about one’s own life as compared with that
person’s life. It is the Christian caught up in
earthly desires who hates the faithful Christian.
The faithful Christian does not have to do
anything to be hated by the unfaithful Christian.
It is his life of obedience to God that causes the
unfaithful Christian to hate him, because the
unfaithful Christian feels guilty about the life
he is living. It is not the
unsaved, unregenerate person who hates the
faithful Christian. It is the saved, regenerate,
unfaithful Christian who hates the faithful
Christian. This is why the main body of the Church
today hates the Philadelphia church of today. It
is simply guilt over the lifestyle that most
Christians have today. 2. What love is
(3:16-18) (1 John 3:16 KJV) Hereby perceive
we the love of God, because he laid down his
life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren. This verse states
that we can come to a knowledge of the love of God
because Jesus set forth, ordained or established
His life for us as the example to follow. We can
come to understand agape love when we crucify the
old nature and live the life of Christ. Since
Christ did this for us, we should also live our
lives as examples for our Christian brothers.We are to love
them when they hate us, and we are to do good to
them when they do evil unto us. The life of Jesus
was the example for all Christians, and our lives
should be examples for our Christian brothers,
even if they hate us. When we return love for
hate, it instills more guilt—and even more hate—in
the unfaithful Christian, until (hopefully) the
unfaithful Christian is brought to a point of
repentance in his life. This verse is not
addressing the death of Jesus, but His life.
Neither is it speaking of a Christian dying for
another Christian, but living for other
Christians. Our lives are to be a living
sacrifice for other Christians. (1 John 3:17 KJV) But whoso hath
this world's good, and seeth his brother have
need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion
from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? An accurate
paraphrase of this verse is as follows: (1 John 3:17 Paraphrase) As a
supposition, whoever has the resources and
wealth to sustain life and perceives his brother
in need of these resources, and he withholds his
tender mercies from him, how can agape love be
present in this person who withholds his tender
mercies and does not provide for his brother’s
need. This verse is a
supposition of something that is not true. If the
brother has the necessary resources to sustain
physical life and he sees his Christian brother in
need of these resources, he will extend his tender
mercies toward him to provide these resources. In
this will the love of God is shown or
demonstrated, and it will be clear that the love
of God does dwell in this person. Many Christians
do not have the love of God dwelling him them.
They have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, but
they are not filled or controlled by the Holy
Spirit. (1 John 3:18 KJV) My little
children, let us not love in word, neither in
tongue; but in deed and in truth. This verse
confirms that the true test of agape love
is not one’s verbal profession of that love, but
one’s actions that are free from affection,
pretense, simulation, falsehood and deceit. When
the agape love of God is indwelling a
Christian, the following passage of Scripture
describes the result. The Greek word translated
“charity” is the word agape, which is the
unconditional love of God: (1 Cor 13:1 KJV) Though I speak
with the tongues of men and of angels, and have
not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a
tinkling cymbal.(1 Cor 13:2 KJV) And though I have
the gift of prophecy, and understand all
mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have
all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and
have not charity, I am nothing.(1 Cor 13:3 KJV) And though I
bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though
I give my body to be burned, and have not
charity, it profiteth me nothing.(1 Cor 13:4 KJV) Charity suffereth
long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,(1 Cor 13:5 KJV) Doth not behave
itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not
easily provoked, thinketh no evil;(1 Cor 13:6 KJV) Rejoiceth not in
iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;(1 Cor 13:7 KJV) Beareth all
things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,
endureth all things.(1 Cor 13:8 KJV) Charity never
faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they
shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall
cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall
vanish away.(1 Cor 13:9 KJV) For we know in
part, and we prophesy in part.(1 Cor 13:10 KJV) But when that
which is perfect is come, then that which is in
part shall be done away.(1 Cor 13:11 KJV) When I was a
child, I spake as a child, I understood as a
child, I thought as a child: but when I became a
man, I put away childish things.(1 Cor 13:12 KJV) For now we see
through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know even
as also I am known.(1 Cor 13:13 KJV) And now abideth
faith, hope, charity, these three; but the
greatest of these is charity. 3. What love does
for faithful Christians (3:19-3:23) (1 John 3:19 KJV) And
hereby we know that we are of the truth, and
shall assure our hearts before him.This verse
apparently refers back to verses 17 and 18. By
practical acts of love—and not empty words—that
help our fellow Christians live the life of
Christ, we know that the source of our actions and
behavior come from the life of Christ, who is The
Truth. It is these acts of unselfish agape love
that will persuade or convince us “before him”
(i.e., in the sight or presence of Jesus Christ).
Since this is speaking of the present time,
“before him” is figurative and not literal. Our
current lives are lived in the sight and presence
of Jesus Christ, as He will have total and
complete knowledge about us when we stand in his
literal presence at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
The Greek word for hearts is also figurative and
means our thoughts and feelings—our minds. We can
be convinced in our own minds that we have the agape love
of God indwelling us when we perform unconditional
acts of love toward our fellow Christians. (1 John 3:20 KJV) For
if our heart condemn us, God is greater than
our heart, and knoweth all things.If our own mind
tells us we are being insincere and phony, then
God certainly knows that we are being insincere
and phony, for his mind is infinite and he has
knowledge of everything, including our own
thoughts. (1 John 3:21 KJV)
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then
have we confidence toward God. If our own mind
does not find any fault or blame in us, then we
will have confident assurance about our lives in
regard to God’s complete knowledge about us. In
our inmost mind we know if we are living a life of
pretense, simulation, falsehood and deceit.
(1 John 3:22 KJV) And whatsoever we
ask, we receive of him, because we keep his
commandments, and do those things that are
pleasing in his sight. If the Christian
is living this life of confident assurance, then
he will have this inner peace that comes from God,
and his prayers will be answered, since this
Christian keeps the commandments of God, and his
behavior and actions are pleasing to God. (1 John 3:23 KJV) And
this is his commandment, That we should
believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ,
and love one another, as he gave us
commandment.In this verse
John sums up the commandments of God in one
commandment. This commandment is for us to
“believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ”.
Please note that this is a commandment for us to
obey, and it is not in reference to our belief
that Jesus is the Christ. Everyone who believes
that Jesus is the Christ is a Christian, but not
every Christian believes on the name of Jesus
Christ. The following verse in this epistle
confirms the first statement: (1 John 5:1 KJV) Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God: and every one that loveth him that begat
loveth him also that is begotten of him. To “believe on
the name of his Son Jesus Christ” means for the
Christian to entrust his spiritual well-being to
the power and authority of Jesus Christ. It means
to allow the power and authority of Jesus Christ
to pervade our lives and control us via the
filling of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian
believes that Jesus is the Christ—whether he
admits it to others or not—but every Christian
does not entrust his spiritual well-being unto the
power and authority of Jesus Christ. Calling on the
name of the Lord also means that the Christian must
call upon the power and authority of Jesus
Christ in order to realize soul salvation.

All Christians do not call upon the power and
authority of Jesus Christ to live the Christian
life. Many Christians stop at the point where they
believe that Jesus is the Christ, but they do not
believe on the name or call upon the name of Jesus
Christ. It is the faithful Christian who entrusts
his spiritual well-being unto the power and
authority ofJesus Christ, and calls upon the name of the
Lord in order to realize soul salvation (i.e.,
eternal life). As stated before, eternal life
pertains to soul salvation and not the regenerated
spirit. All Christians are regenerated spiritually
and will be in heaven, but not all Christians will
realize soul salvation and attain unto eternal
life. We will explain more about believing on the
name of the Son of God in chapter 5. D. Discerning
the indwelling God (3:24-4:16) The thematic
statement in 2:28 that we should abide in Christ
so we will not be ashamed at the Judgment Seat of
Christ has now gone through two stages: (1)
the one abiding inChrist does not commit sin, and he
performs righteous deeds or acts (2:29-3:10a), and
(2) this practical righteousness is manifested in
unconditional or agape love for our fellow
Christians, and this results in fervent and
effective prayers (3:10b-23). This kind of life is
the manifestation of the presence of God in our
lives. 1. Discerning the
Spirit of Truth (3:24-4:6) (1 John 3:24 KJV) And he that
keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he
in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in
us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.This verse
introduces two new themes. The first refers to God
or Christ abiding in each obedient Christian.
Those Christians who keep the commandments abide
or dwell in God or Christ, and He abides or dwells
in them. The parable of the Vine and the Branches
also confirms that the abiding life involves this
mutuality (John 15:4-7). The second new
idea in this epistle is that this manifestation of
the abiding life comes through the operations of
the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. Christ
lives His life in us via the Holy Spirit, but this
manifestation only takes place when we keep the
commandments. The abiding life does not just
automatically happen to Christians. It must be
sought after diligently by the Christian who
desires to be faithful to God. We are continuing
in the same context in this verse—even though two
new themes are introduced—and it is important to
note that believing on the name of the Son of God
and keeping the commandments of God are directly
related. The only way we can keep the commandments
is to do it in the power and authority of Jesus
Christ (i.e., call upon the name of the Son of
God), and this happens when Christians are filled
or controlled by the Holy Spirit. Since it is the
actions of the Holy Spirit in our lives that
determine the abiding life, we must be able to
distinguish the actions of the Holy Spirit from
other spirits. John shows in the
following verses that God’s Spirit is the Spirit
of both faith (4:1-6) and love. These are the two
aspects of the two-part command provided in 3:23
above. The faith or belief that Jesus is the
Christ pertains to spirit salvation, and the love
pertains to the abiding life or soul salvation. A
Christian can have the faith and not live the
abiding life, but there will be consequences at
the Judgment Seat of Christ. This relates back to
verse 2:28 where Christians will be ashamed when
they appear before Him. (1 John 4:1 KJV) Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits
whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world. The first task of
the Christian in living the abiding life is to
test the spirits to see if they are of God. “Of
God” means that the source or origin of their
behavior is from God. “The spirits” are either of
God or of Satan. There is no in between as there
are no misguided spirits of God, but there are
misguided Christians who heed seducing spirits and
teach false doctrine. It is my belief
based on the Scriptures that the false prophets
would be tares (i.e., unsaved people) in the
Church, but the false teachers would be Church
members (i.e., saved people) who had gotten away
from the truth and were teaching false
doctrines. The following Scripture
distinguishes between false prophets and false
teachers, and it confirms that false teachers can
be saved individuals: (2 Pet 2:1 KJV) But there were
false prophets also among the people, even as
there shall be false teachers among you, who
privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even
denying the Lord that bought them, and bring
upon themselves swift destruction. Please note that
these false teachers had been bought or paid for
by the Lord. Also note that the false prophets
were among “the people”, but the false teachers
were among those who were being addressed (i.e.,
the Church). The destruction that these false
teachers will experience is the destruction or
perishing of the soul at the Judgment Seat of
Christ. This is the loss of reward and failure to
enter the kingdom of heaven, but the false
teachers do not go to hell as is commonly caught.
I have written an article To Perish or
not to Perish, which explains the concept of
perishing in detail. There are numerous Scriptures
that warn Christians about perishing at the
Judgment Seat of Christ, and there will be no
unsaved person appearing at the Judgment Seat of
Christ. The Judgment Seat of Christ is a judgment
of the Christian’s works. (1 John 4:2 KJV) Hereby know ye the
Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:The touchstone by
which these spirits are to be tested is their
attitude toward the incarnate Person of Christ.
The refusal to acknowledge that Jesus Christ has
come in the flesh is that which exposes the spirit
of antichrist. The New Age Movement today denies
that Jesus is the Christ and has come in the
flesh. This heretical movement states that Jesus
was “a Christ” but He was not “the Christ”. The
cults can also be identified by their attitude
toward the incarnate Word of God. They all deny
the hypostatic union of Jesus Christ. The hypostatic union
pertains to the essential Person of Christ in
which His human and divine natures are united. In
simple terms, Jesus Christ is both fully God and
fully man. All of the cults deny this hypostatic
union in some form or another. The Jehovah’s
Witnesses deny that Jesus Christ is Jehovah God,
and the Mormons deny that He is One in essence
with the Father. The Mormons will state that he is
“a god”, but only in the sense that many Mormons
will attain this same status in attaining godhood
by how they live their lives. Both deny “that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.” (1 John 4:3 KJV) And
every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and
this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye
have heard that it should come; and even now
already is it in the world. This verse
continues to enunciate that every spirit that does
not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh
is the spirit of antichrist. The spirit of
antichrist had already begun at the time John
wrote the epistles. At that time the spirit of
antichrist was dominant in the heresy of
Gnosticism, and it is still with us today in the
cults and the New Age Movement. We must
distinguish between the spirit of antichrist and
The Antichrist. The spirit of antichrist has been
with us since shortly after the time of Christ,
but The Antichrist is an individual who will
embody the spirit of Antichrist in its most
virulent form. He will come as Satan’s substitute
for Christ, but he will oppose Christ with all the
power of Satan, which is quite formidable. There
are also many antichrists who have come in
opposition to Christ, and these antichrists have
opposed Christians from the beginning. The spirits
of antichrists are the demonic spirits that oppose
Christ, and the antichrists are people who operate
in the power of Satan. (1 John 4:4 KJV) Ye are of God,
little children, and have overcome them: because
greater is He that is in you, than he that is in
the world. John consoles the
recipients of his epistle by telling them that
they have overcome these spirits of
antichrist—antichrists also—and the reason they
have been able to overcome these demonic spirits
is that the Holy Spirit indwells these Christians.
The Holy Spirit is more powerful than Satan who is
in the world. The “He that is in you” would also
refer to Jesus Christ who lives in these
Christians via the Holy Spirit. (1 John 4:5 KJV) They are of the
world: therefore speak they of the world, and
the world heareth them. These spirits of
antichrists proceed out of the world system, which
is the system of Satan.Satan is
currently the god of this world system, since he
has usurped the authority of Adam to rule over the
world. Consequently, these spirits speak of the
satanic world system, and the people of this
satanic system listen to these spirits. Satan’s
world system includes the political systems of the
world, the nations and many of the religions of
the world. There have been
numerous Christians who have been seduced by these
spirits of antichrists, and they are enamored and
caught up in Satan’s system. They have been
captivated by the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life as stated in verse
2:16 above. These Christians are attempting to
reform Satan’s system through psychology,
self-improvement, political activism and the
increase in power via the accumulation of wealth.
The end-time church of Laodicea is extremely
wealthy and powerful, but the Lord describes this
church as wretched, miserable, poor, naked and
blind. The church of Laodicea has substituted
psychology, self-improvement and political
activism in place of study and obedience to the
written Word of God. All of this is a result of
these seducing spirits of antichrist that have led
many Christians astray from our intended purpose.
(1 John 4:6 KJV) We are of God: he
that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of
God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of
truth, and the spirit of error. John concludes
this section on seducing spirits by assuring the
recipients of his epistle that he and his
companions have God as the source and origin of
their behavior and teachings, and that those who
know God intimately through experience will listen
to and heed what is being taught them by John and
his companions. Those who have been seduced by
these spirits of antichrist will not listen nor
heed what John is attempting to teach them. John
concludes that knowing God intimately through
experience is the reason he is able to distinguish
between the spirit of truth and the spirit of
error. Unfortunately, the majority of Christians
today do not study the Word of God carefully, so
they do not know God experientially, and they
cannot distinguish truth from error. The following
passage equates knowing God with having the love
(i.e., agape) of God for our fellow Christians.
1. Knowing the
God of Love (4:7-4:16) (1 John 4:7 KJV) Beloved, let us
love one another: for love is of God; and every
one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
This verse
distinguishes between spiritual rebirth and
knowing God. All Christians are born of God, but
not all Christians know God. The Christian who has
been born of God and knows God will love his
fellow Christians. The difference between being
born of God and knowing God is the difference
between spirit salvation and soul salvation.
(1 John 4:8 KJV) He that loveth not
knoweth not God; for God is love.The Christian who
does not love his fellow Christians is born of
God, but he does not know God intimately and
experientially. He has experienced spirit
salvation, but he has not yet realized
eternal life or soul salvation. The absence of
love is evidence that a Christian does not know
God, but it does not mean the Christian is not
born again. It simply means the Christian has not
received with meekness the engrafted Word of God
(James 1:21). It means the Christian has not yet
laid hold onto eternal life in accordance with the
following Scriptures: (1 Tim 6:12 KJV) Fight the good
fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,
whereunto thou art also called, and hast
professed a good profession before many
witnesses. (1 Tim 6:19 KJV) Laying up in store
for themselves a good foundation against the
time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
As stated before,
eternal life pertains to soul salvation and
rewards, and not spirit salvation. The Biblical
definition of “eternal life” is the most
misunderstood concept in Christianity today. The
Biblical definition of eternal life is given in
the following Scripture: (Rom 2:5 KJV) But after thy
hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto
thyself wrath against the day of wrath and
revelation of the righteous judgment of God;(Rom 2:6 KJV) Who will render to
every man according to his deeds:(Rom 2:7 KJV) To them who by
patient continuance in well doing seek for glory
and honour and immortality, eternal life:(Rom 2:8 KJV) But unto them that
are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but
obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,(Rom 2:9 KJV) Tribulation and
anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil,
of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;(Rom 2:10 KJV) But glory, honour,
and peace, to every man that worketh good, to
the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: This whole
passage is addressed to Christians by Paul, and he
is warning these Christians about the Judgment
Seat of Christ. Verse 6 confirms that this
is the Judgment Seat of Christ, and the only ones
who will appear at this judgment are
Christians. Verse 7 confirms that the definition of
“eternal
life” is to receive glory, honor and immortality.
The immortality pertains to the soul of the
Christian. Everyone’s spirit is immortal,
but the soul of the Christian can perish and fail
to receive glory, honor and immortality. Verse 9
confirms that this passage is pertaining to the
soul and not the spirit. (1 John 4:9 KJV) In
this was manifested the love of God toward us,
because that God sent his only begotten Son
into the world, that we might
live through him.“The love of God
toward us” is speaking of God’s love being
manifested towards Christians in the fact that He
sent his only begotten Son that “we might live
through him.” The Greek word for world is kosmos and
refers directly to the church as the elect of God.
God sent His Son Jesus Christ to the Church (i.e.,
the kosmos)
so that those in the Church “might live through
him.” Please note the conditional aspect
of this statement. Christians may appropriate the
life of Christ and live through Him, but they
might not do this. Many Christians do not live
through Christ. They allow the old soulical nature
to take charge of their lives, and they do not
manifest the life of Christ. Consequently, they do
not love their fellow Christians, since they do
not know God. They have been born again, but they
do not know God. (1 John 4:10 KJV) Herein is love,
not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and
sent his Son to be the propitiation for our
sins.This verse
confirms the select nature to whom God sent His
Son. God loved us (i.e., the Church) so he sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. The
following verse continues to define the select
nature of God’s love. (1 John 4:11 KJV)
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to
love one another. “Beloved” refers
to Christians the same as “us” refers to
Christians. Since God loved the Church in spite of
our behavior and sin nature, we should also love
each other in spite of our behavior and our
actions. We should love all of our fellow
Christians regardless of how they treat us.
The only way we can do this is to live through
Christ, and this is simply another way of stating
that we should allow Christ to live through us.
This is the same thing as living the abiding life
as was explained earlier in this discourse. Nothing less than
God’s love in Christ is the model for the love
that Christians should have for one another.
Living the abiding life is the only way that a
Christian can manifest this love. (1 John 4:12 KJV) No man hath seen
God at any time. If we love one another, God
dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
No man has ever
seen God in His divine nature, essence and glory.
No man could survive this experience. Attempting
to look directly at the sun is roughly analogous
to seeing God in His divine nature, essence and
glory. However, if the Christian lives the abiding
life, he will have the love of God in him, and God
will be made visible to other Christians. This is
the perfecting or maturing of God’s love in the
Christians. If we want to know what God looks
like, we can look at Christ, for God is manifested
in Christ. As the Christian matures in the faith,
he manifests the love of God, and other Christians
get a glimpse of what God is like. (1 John 4:13 KJV) Hereby know we
that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he
hath given us of his Spirit. We can know that
we dwell in God and he in us, because of the
actions of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If the
Christian is controlled by the Holy Spirit in his
behavior and actions, then we know that he is
dwelling in God and God is dwelling in him. The
scriptures refer to this control by the Holy
Spirit as the filling of the Spirit as confirmed
in the following verse: (Eph 5:18 KJV) And be not drunk
with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with
the Spirit; All Christians
are not filled or controlled by the Holy Spirit,
so all Christians do not dwell in God and He in
them. The abiding life must be sought after by the
Christian. (1 John 4:14 KJV) And we have seen
and do testify that the Father sent the Son to
be the Saviour of the world. This verse is
speaking of God sending His Son Jesus Christ as
the Savior of the Church.The Greek word
for world is kosmos
and again refers to the Church. Jesus is
the Savior of the Church, and whosoever in the
Church confesses that Jesus is the Son of God
provides evidence that God is dwelling in him, and
he is dwelling in God. Verse 14 above and 15 below
would have been clearer if combined into one
sentence. A paraphrase of verse 14 and 15 is given
after verse 15. (1 John 4:15 KJV) Whosoever shall
confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God
dwelleth in him, and he in God. (1 John 4:14-15 Paraphrase) And we have
witnessed with our eyes and provide testimony
with our lips that God the Father sent His Son
Jesus Christ as the Savior of the Church, and
whosoever in the Church confesses that Jesus is
the Only Begotten Son of God provides evidence
that he is living the abiding life. It is important
to note that whoever believes that Jesus is the
Christ is born of God (5:1), but whoever confesses
openly that Jesus is the Christ (i.e., the Son of
God) is living the abiding life (4:15). There is a
difference in believing it and proclaiming it. The
born againChristian believes it. The Christian living
the abiding life proclaims it. (1 John 4:16 KJV) And
we have known and believed the love that God
hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth
in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.John completes
this section on knowing the love of God by stating
that he and the recipients of this epistle have
known by experience, and believed the love that
God had for them. He then sums up the section by
stating that the Christian who dwells in love also
dwells in God and God in him. The Christian who
dwells in love is living the abiding life. E.
The Theme Realized (4:17-4:19) John now returns
to the theme of boldness at the Second Advent that
he introduced earlier in 2:28. In the middle of
his argument, John spoke of boldness in prayer
(3:21-22), but here John goes a step further. The
Christian who has the love of God in him can even
have boldness at the Judgment Seat of Christ when
the Lord returns. (1 John 4:17 KJV)
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may
have boldness in the day of judgment: because
as he is, so are we in this world. John confirms
that the test of our true love will be at the
Judgment Seat of Christ. If our love has been made
complete, then we will have boldness at the
Judgment Seat of Christ, for we will have been
conformed to His image in this life in the Church
instead of waiting to be changed at the Judgment
Seat of Christ. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, it
will be a fearful thing for Christians who have
not already been conformed to the image of Christ.
The Christian who has had the love of God
perfected or completed in him will not be fearful
at the Judgment Seat of Christ. In simple terms,
the Christian who fears God now will not be
fearful at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but the
Christian who has no fear of God now will be
extremely fearful at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
It is the Laodicean Christian who does not fear
God now, but he will be fearful when he stands
before Jesus for judgment. This is confirmed in
the following verse: (Heb 10:30 KJV) For we know him
that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I
will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The
Lord shall judge his people.(Heb 10:31 KJV) It is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God. (1 John 4:18 KJV)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love
casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.
He that feareth is not made perfect in love. The Christian who
has realized the mature and complete love of God
will be bold at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and
will not experience fear (i.e., terror) at this
judgment. This fear is the fear of punishment that
will be meted out at this Judgment. The Christian
who experiences fear (i.e., terror) at the
Judgment Seat of Christ will be the one who has
not been made complete in God’s love. The
following verse confirms this terror that will be
experienced by Christians at the Judgment Seat of
Christ: (2 Cor 5:9 KJV) Wherefore we
labour, that, whether present or absent, we may
be accepted of him.(2 Cor 5:10 KJV) For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that
every one may receive the things done in his
body, according to that he hath done, whether it
be good or bad.(2 Cor 5:11 KJV) Knowing therefore
the terror
of the Lord, we persuade men; but we
are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are
made manifest in your consciences. It is important
to see that the purpose of living the abiding life
is so we can be bold and not fearful when we
appear before Christ at the Judgment Seat of
Christ. If the love of God has been made complete,
then we will not shrink back in shame and fear
when we stand in His presence. (1 John 4:19 KJV) We love him,
because he first loved us. John sums up this
section by stating that we can only love God
because He first loved us. V.
Conclusion
(4:20-5:17)
The greatest
intensity of this epistle was reached in 4:11-19,
but the experience depicted with the amazing
concept of boldness with no fear at the Judgment
Seat of Christ can be reached only in a practical
way. In his conclusion, John crystallized the
meaning of love (agape), and how it can be
attained in the Christian life.

A.
Love clarified (4:20-5:3a)(1 John 4:20 KJV) If a
man say, I love God, and hateth his brother,
he is a liar: for he that loveth not his
brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God
whom he hath not seen?The concise
climatic statement of 4:19 mentions love for God
for the first time in the epistle. However, the
claim to love God can not be a substitute for the
love for fellow Christians. As John’s point of
departure, he states emphatically that the
Christian who says that he loves God but he hates
his fellow Christian is a liar. He has made a
false claim. Love for God who is invisible can
only be concretely expressed by love for our
Christian brethren, who are visible. (1 John 4:21 KJV) And this
commandment have we from him, That he who loveth
God love his brother also. John nails down
the concept of love for the brethren being a
manifestation of the love for God by stating that
the two kinds of love are joined together by God’s
commandment. Jesus Christ made this point in the
following verses: (John 14:15 KJV) If ye love me,
keep my commandments. (John 14:23 KJV) Jesus answered and
said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My
words: and My Father will love him, and We will
come unto him, and make Our abode with him.
John anticipates
the question as to who is our Christian brother by
stating in the following verse that anyone who
believes that Jesus is the Christ qualifies as our
brother. This includes all of those Christians who
are not living the abiding life, and who are not
lovable themselves. It includes the mean, nasty,
filthy, ugly, old Christian, who persecutes and
maligns the Christian who is actually living the
abiding life. (1 John 5:1 KJV) Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God: and every one that loveth him that begat
loveth him also that is begotten of him.In addition to
defining a real Christian as anyone who believes
that Jesus is the Christ, John reiterates that
anyone who really loves God will also love God’s
children. This
means that we must love all born again
Christians whether they are lovable or not.
This is the touchstone for determining if we are
living the abiding life. Do we have love for the
brethren, regardless of how the brethren treat us?
This is actual love and not just a statement of
love. (1 John 5:2 KJV) By
this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God, and keep his commandments. John reverses his
statement to show that love for God—manifested by
keeping His commandments—is evidence that we love
the brethren, and these two kinds of love are
inextricably intertwined. Love for the brethren is
not mere sentiment or verbal expressions. Love for
the brethren cannot be separated from loving God
and keeping His commandments. (1 John 5:3 KJV) For this is the
love of God, that we keep his commandments: and
his commandments are not grievous.B.
Love empowered (5:3b-5:15)John continues by
making the love of God and obedience to God
synonymous, and John adds the statement that God’s
commandments are not grievous or burdensome. The
Christian who truly loves God delights in keeping
His commandments, and is greatly disappointed in
himself when he fails. (1 John 5:4 KJV) For
whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world: and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith.The reason that
God’s commandments are not grievous or burdensome
is because the principle of victory resides in
everyone born of God, and this victory is found in
our faith. Every born again believer has already
overcome the world by his faith in Jesus Christ as
the Son of God. It is by this same faith that the
believer has the capability of overcoming the
flesh and the devil. The Christian must overcome
all three to be an overcomer at the Judgment Seat
of Christ. God has already given us victory over
the world by the faith that he gave us, and it is
by this same faith that we can overcome the old
flesh nature and Satan himself. (1 John 5:5 KJV) Who is he that
overcometh the world, but he that believeth that
Jesus is the Son of God?John restates the
truth that only believers have overcome the world,
and he repeats the one and only criterion for
being classified as a believer, and that is to
believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:6 KJV) This is he that
came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not
by water only, but by water and blood. And it is
the Spirit that beareth witness, because the
Spirit is truth. John now
clarifies the identity of Jesus Christ as the one
who came by water and blood. This refers to Jesus
Christ as the One baptized by John the Baptist in
the River Jordan, and the One who shed His blood
on Calvary. Both are critical in identifying Jesus
Christ as the Anointed One, the Messiah, the One
Who was approved by God the Father for all to hear
this approbation, and visibly see the Holy Spirit
descending on Him empowering Him for His ministry.
The baptism and death of Jesus are both critical
elements for the Christian to believe. The
approval by God the Father uniquely qualified
Jesus Christ as the only one capable of paying the
ultimate price for salvation. It was the
confirmation of God the Father that Jesus Christ
had never committed even one sin. It attested to
the fact that Jesus was sinless and perfect.
It is the Spirit
that provides the testimony about Jesus Christ,
since the Spirit reveals the truth, and confirms
to every believer the truth about Jesus Christ.
(1 John 5:7 KJV) For
there are three that bear record in heaven,
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and
these three are one.It is the Trinity
that bears witness in heaven, and this Trinity is
One in Essence. There must also be a witness on
earth for people to believe, and that witness is
given in the following verse: (1 John 5:8 KJV) And there are
three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit,
and the water, and the blood: and these three
agree in one. The Holy Spirit
is the witness on earth, and the water baptism
confirmed the approval of Jesus by the Father, and
the death of Jesus on Calvary completed the
testimony on earth. (1 John 5:9 KJV) If we receive the
witness of men, the witness of God is greater:
for this is the witness of God which he hath
testified of his Son. If we believe
what men tell us, then we certainly should believe
what God tells us about His Son. (1 John 5:10 KJV) He
that believeth on the Son of God hath the
witness in himself: he that believeth not God
hath made him a liar; because he believeth not
the record that God gave of his Son. The Christian who
believes on the Son of God has the witness—the
Holy Spirit—in him. The person who does not
believe the word of God the Father makes God a
liar, since he does not believe the record (i.e.,
testimony) of God the Father. (1 John 5:11 KJV) And
this is the record, that God hath given to us
eternal life, and this life is in his Son.The testimony
(i.e., record) of God the Father is that He has
given us eternal life, and this life is to be
found in His Son. It is very important to notice a
transition here from the testimony of God the
Father that His Son was well-pleasing to Him, and
Christians can also be well-pleasing to Him by
appropriating the life of Christ. (1 John 5:12 KJV) He that hath the
Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of
God hath not life. This appropriation of the life
of Christ is by definition, eternal life.
The Christian who has appropriated the life of
Christ has eternal life, but the Christian who has
not appropriated this life does not have eternal
life. Note: Please remember that eternal life
pertains to the soul and not the spirit. The
difference between spirit salvation and soul
salvation is the difference between believing “on
the Son of God”, and believing “on the NAME of the
Son of God.” There is a world
of difference in believing “on the Son of God” and
believing “on the Name of the Son of God.” To believe on
the name of a person means to entrust one’s
spiritual well-being to the power and authority
of that person. All Christians believe on
the Son of God, but not all Christians entrust
their spiritual well-being unto the power and
authority of the Son of God. To do so is to
appropriate the life of Christ and realize eternal
life or the salvation of the soul. To appropriate
the life of Christ, a Christian must first die to
self. The Greek word
for “hath” in verse 12 means “to lay hold onto”.
The Christian who has laid hold onto Jesus Christ
has appropriated His life and will realize eternal
life. Eternal life is something the Christian must
lay hold on in accordance with the following
verse: (1 Tim 6:18 KJV) That they do good,
that they be rich in good works, ready to
distribute, willing to communicate;(1 Tim 6:19 KJV) Laying up in store
for themselves a good foundation against the
timeto come, that they may lay hold on
eternal life. (1 John 5:13 KJV)
These things have I written unto you that
believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye
may know that ye have eternal life, and that
ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.The ASV of 1901
has the correct translation of this verse as
follows: (1 John 5:13 ASV) These things have
I written unto you, that ye may know that ye
have eternal life, even unto you that believe on
the name of the Son of God. John states that
he is writing to these Christians so they may know
that they have eternal life, and he then
identifies those who have eternal life as those
who “believe on the name of the Son of God.” Only
those Christians who lay hold onto Jesus Christ
will realize eternal life. All Christians do not
believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:14 KJV) And
this is the confidence that we have in him,
that, if we ask any thing according to his
will, he heareth us: If we entrust our
spiritual well-being to Christ, we can ask
anything in his will and he will listen to us.
(1 John 5:15 KJV) And if we know
that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that
we have the petitions that we desired of him.
In addition, if
we know that he hears us, He will grant our
petitions. C.
Love practiced (5:16-5:17) (1 John 5:16 KJV) If any man see
his brother sin a sin which is not unto death,
he shall ask, and he shall give him life for
them that sin not unto death. There is a sin
unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for
it. The Christian can
commit sin that leads toward death. This death is
the death of the soul and not the spirit or the
body. The sin that leads to the death of the soul
is described in the following verses: (Heb 6:1 KJV) Therefore leaving the
principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go
on unto perfection; not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works, and of
faith toward God,(Heb 6:2 KJV) Of the doctrine of
baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of
resurrection of the dead, and of eternal
judgment.(Heb 6:3 KJV) And this will we do,
if God permit.(Heb 6:4 KJV) For it is impossible
for those who were once enlightened, and have
tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost,(Heb 6:5 KJV) And have tasted the
good word of God, and the powers of the world to
come,(Heb 6:6 KJV) If they shall fall
away, to renew them again unto repentance;
seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God
afresh, and put him to an open shame.(Heb 6:7 KJV) For the earth which
drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it,
and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom
it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:(Heb 6:8 KJV) But that which
beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is
nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.(Heb 6:9 KJV) But,
beloved, we are persuaded better things of
you, and things that accompany salvation,
though we thus speak. This passage of
Scripture is speaking of Christians who have
reached a level of maturity in the Christian life
and then turned their back on God and fallen away
from the faith. When this occurs in a Christian
God will not allow repentance, and the person will
most certainly perish at the Judgment Seat of
Christ. This perishing is pertaining to the soul,
and the person will lose his inheritance in the
kingdom of God. He will still be in heaven and he
will be totally cleansed, but he will not reign
and rule with Jesus Christ. Please note in
verse 9 that he is speaking of things that
accompany the salvation of the spirit and not
spirit salvation itself. Verse 8 confirms that the
passage is speaking of works that will be judged
and burned up. The passage is not speaking of
unsaved people who will be consigned to hell
forever. The whole book of Hebrews addresses soul
salvation and the Judgment Seat of Christ, and
only Christians will appear at the Judgment Seat
of Christ. In verse 16 above
John is stating that it is futile to pray for
someone who meets the criteria in the Hebrews
passage above. There is nothing that can be done
for them for God will not allow repentance from
them, and they are destined to perish at the
Judgment Seat of Christ. The big question
is how do we know who is committing the sin that
leads to the death of the soul. The simple answer
is that we do not know, but the Holy Spirit will
not lead us to pray for these people. I only know
of one person that might fall into this category
right now, and that person was a Sunday school
teacher who taught these very doctrines of soul
salvation and accountability at the Judgment Seat
of Christ. (1 John 5:17 KJV) All
unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not
unto death.All
unrighteousness is sin, and we all commit sin, but
this sin does not lead unto the death of the soul
in most cases, and we can repent and seek
forgiveness for it, and our souls can be saved
when we appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
V.
Epilogue (5:18-5:21)(1 John 5:18 KJV) We know that
whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he
that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and
that wicked one toucheth him not. This verse can be
paraphrased as follows: (1 John 5:18 Paraphrase) We know that the
Christian’s spirit is born of God and does not
cause the Christian to sin, but the Christian
whose life is converted out of God into His
likeness guards himself and keeps himself in
that state, and Satan is unable to influence
him. The Greek word
for “keepeth” in verse 18 above means to attend to
carefully. The Christian who has been converted
into the likeness of God by allowing Christ to
live His life through him guards himself
carefully, so that he will not fall away from the
faith and arrive in a state where God will no
longer permit repentance. Satan is unable to
influence this type of Christian. (1 John 5:19 KJV) And
we know that we are of God, and the whole
world lieth in wickedness.A paraphrase of
this verse is as follows: (1 John 5:19 Paraphrase) And we know that
our lives have been converted into the likeness
of God, but Satan holds the whole human race in
subjection. (1 John 5:20 KJV) And we know that
the Son of God is come, and hath given us an
understanding, that we may know him that is
true, and we are in him that is true, even in
his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and
eternal life. A paraphrase of
this verse is as follows: (1 John 5:20 Paraphrase) Moreover, we
know that the Son of God has come to us for an
intimate relationship, and He has given us the
deeper knowledge and understanding to know Him
intimately, and we are abiding in Him, even
God’s Son Jesus Christ. He is truly God and the
source of eternal life. (1 John 5:21 KJV) Little children,
keep yourselves from idols. Amen. John ends his
epistle by addressing his disciples in a familiar
term and cautions them to carefully guard
themselves against idolatry. This means for them
to keep separated from anything that supplants
God. This includes anything that people put ahead
of God and includes things such as cars, houses,
television, sports, clothes, hobbies, and anything
that takes the place of prominence in our lives.
In the Laodicean church of today, money has become
the god of numerous Christians, and we need to be
very careful to guard ourselves against the love
of money.